Hello, I am a-
by Grasspaw
Summary: Pre PoR: Muarim's been dreading the day for years, but little Tormod has finally asked the question: "What kind of laguz am I?"


**I was thinking about Tormod (love him) and Muarim (him too), and wondering what it must have been like for Tormod, growing up amongst laguz. And then I was like, "There must have been some point where they talked about it." Mostly because I wanted to write this. It also turned out a lot more angsty than I wanted it to (as much a six-year-old Tormod can be angsty), but don't worry, there's still enough fluff to stock a Build-a-Bear workshop for the rest of eternity. I own nothing.**

"Muarim, what kind of a laguz am I?"

The green tiger blinked at the six-year-old boy standing before him. He was sitting half-asleep against one of the ruined stone walls in their fortress, and the redheaded child was bouncing up and down in front of him excitedly.

"What kind of laguz am I?" Tormod repeated. Muarim's heart sank, and his mind raced as he tried to come up with a suitable answer. The question was bound to have come up at some point, really, and he supposed he was just lucky it had taken the child this long to ask it.

"Am I a cat?" Tormod asked eagerly. "That would be so much fun! I could climb all over the place purr. And I could meow, like Tinka!" he added, mentioning their newest arrival, an old cat laguz. Tormod demonstrated by letting out several realistic meows and mews, sounds that would fool even some laguz.

"I... don't think that you're a cat laguz," Muarim said slowly. Tormod cocked his head to the side in thought and then shrugged.

"That's okay. Hey, maybe I'm a bird, like a heron! No, that wouldn't be any fun, they can only sing... Or a raven? No, I've got red hair, and ravens all have _black_hair. I'm a hawk! I'm a hawk, right, Muarim?"

Tormod ran around in small circles, flapping his arms. "I could be a mighty hawk and fly all over the world and see everything and help all the laguz everywhere!"

"That's a noble thought, little one," Muarim said, unwillingly amused by the boy's antics, "but I'm afraid that you're not a hawk, either."

"Really?" Tormod said, trying to look at him and staggering as he attempted to regain his balance. "Then what..." He slapped his forhead. "I know! I'm a _tiger_, just like you!" He grinned, revealing a missing tooth, knocked out in a tumble down a sand dune. Muarim's heart ached at the relief in Tormod's expression; that was the last laguz he knew of. "Right? I can be a tiger, too, and I can roar really loud, just like this. See, listen! ROWR! ROWRRR, ROARRR!" He coughed slightly and began to crawl around on all fours in an impression of his friend. "That was good, right?"

"That was a very good roar, little one," Muarim said, laughing slightly. "But..."

Tormod's eyes widened and he hurried over to kneel next to Muarim, panic lighting in his red eyes. "But what? Was that not a good job? I can do it! I can be a tiger like you!" His lower lip trembled. "I hafta be a tiger too, right? 'Cause I mean, if I'm not a tiger laguz, and I'm not a cat laguz, and... and I'm not a bird laguz, then I'm not _anything_, am I!" He sniffed pathetically, and Muarim pulled him onto his lap.

"Oh, little one..."

"I'm a laguz," Tormod said fiercely, tiny fists clutching at Muarim's worn shirt. "I'm a laguz, too. I can be a laguz."

"Tormod," Muarim said gently. "Tormod, listen to me."

Tormod pulled back and glared at Muarim through his tears. Even as a child he recognized the truth in the tiger's expression, and he recoiled.

"I'm sorry, Tormod."

"I wanna be a laguz, too!" Tormod wailed, burying his head once more against Muarim's chest. "I don't _wanna_be a beorc!"

"Hold on. Who said you were a beorc?" Muarim asked, frowning as he pushed Tormod away just enough to look at him. Tormod's expression was equal parts hurt, angry, and puzzled.

"I'm not a laguz, so I must be a beorc. It's makes sense," he grumbled, and Muarim cocked his head to the side, a slightly teasing smile on his face.

"Well I don't think it does." Tormod pouted, clearly confused, and Muarim bit back a chuckle. "I have a secret for you, little one."

Tormod looked interested, though slightly suspicious. "I like secrets..."

"All right, then." Muarim leaned forward and whispered in his little one's ear, "I am not a laguz, either."

Tormod jerked back, shock written plainly across his features.

"Yes, you are! You're a tiger laguz!"

"I turn into a tiger," Muarim corrected. "And some people will call me a laguz. I might even call myself that sometimes. But do you know what I really am?"

"What?" Tormod asked curiously, crisis momentarily forgotten. Muarim smiled widely.

"I'm a Muarim!"

Tormod frowned. "You mean your name is Muarim?"

"No. I mean I _am_Muarim, and Muarim means me. Because you know what? Even if I was a beorc, and even if I was rich, and even I was a little baby, I would still be Muarim. There is only one Muarim in Tellius, and that Muarim is me!

"I am the Muarim that likes to look at the stars at night, and the Muarim that loves running through the desert, and the Muarim that has the best friend in the world," he continued, rubbing his nose against Tormod's.

"So," he continued, turning Tormod around so that the child could rest against him, "what are _you_, little one?"

He looked down, and Tormod was grinning up at him.

"I'm a Tormod!"


End file.
